September 10, 2020

Our mayor's and governor's office over two weeks ago issued a strict pandemic set of rules that essentially shut down the use of all state designated trails. Our hiking community has been attempting to continue our walks but trail walking was seemingly out. But then David, my son, found out that Camp Palehua a private property offered two or more mile hikes on their property for approval then $10 per person. I attempted to sign up but in the meantime my pesticide house service man, Jonathan, an avid hiker told me about a trail that he reasoned was not on the state list therefore not designated. So yesterday we surreptitiously as single walkers parked our cars a few blocks from the trailhead and quietly walked into the forest. 

O.K. you got me as an almost or real rule breaker (since maybe Jonathan was correct or was a clever rationalizer for illegal activities).  Our hiking group often used this trail entrance(Hahaione) even though there has been a no trespassing sign present at the end of the street there for many years.  Our hiking group coordinators are not rule breakers but years of hiking has us ignore the signs. So now I'm implying others do the same thing. 

How about wearing masks. Well, I am much more careful and a regular user in public unless socially distanced usually outside. From my reading and education by others I agree that this will prevent me from getting infected and prevent others if I inadvertently am infected and don't know it. However, there are those who, as reported in some of the news feeds, seem to even flaunt rebellious no mask wearing in public sometimes escalating their disdain with shouting and threatening behaviors. Some are reported to be strong believers of fringe beliefs and shadow group conspiracy theory advocates that seem to have a characteristic of confrontation and social braggadocio. 

Though now you may accuse me of changing the subject I want to tell you about some aspects of yesterday's hike which may have a bearing on the above subject. Hahaione trail immediately places you on the side of a mountain heavily forested and going into higher elevations. We encountered four other people the entire way on this over four hour delightful hike up the mountain. As I walked usually the sweep of our small single file social distanced group of four I noticed one of the hikers dog leash on the trail So I picked it up to give to the chihuahua dog owner. She  characteristically misplaces her personal items and today she lost a sunglass lens (which she found at near the conclusion of this hike) and another dog leash. So we often see items left from hikers along the trail and some of use usually pick this up like trash collectors. However, here and other places such as beautiful Kailua beach (over 1.5 miles long) is often littered with leftover paper products, cups, children's toys, left clothing, dirty paper diapers, and plastic detritus and ropes from ships far away. Ann, my deceased wife, and her friends every morning at 6 AM would roam the beach and pick up the trash  as part of their morning walks (in the local newspapers they called themselves the Beach Babes). Here's another behavior that's part of how we act leaving evidence of our presence. On our drive home I noticed a driver flip some plastic out of his car to litter the highway. Is it I don't care, I'm just careless, or I'm like a bear and will leave my scat along the way to mark my territory. 

So now I'll give you some of my reading about these subjects. One writer suggest we live in a disposable society where containers are thrown away after the contents are used but the containers unfortunately are not biodegradable. The resulting litter leaves an impression that that environment is abandoned and uncared for so sometimes fortunately others come to clean up (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/29/litterers-wont-change-litter-zero-waste-national-strategy).  Some cultures seem to do better in keeping the environment non litterred than others. Access to trash bins and signs and education to the public help. The out of doors to many loosens their sense of neatness and cleanliness (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/29/litterers-wont-change-litter-zero-waste-national-strategy and https://blogs.ntu.edu.sg/hp3203-1920s1-u08/is-there-hope/). 

Earlier I gave the example of the bear scat. These are territorial markers of bears and other animals. Since we are animals could our territorial marker urges be at play? Well, I'm presently not sure but here's some food for thought (http://www.study-body-language.com/Territoriality.html). 

So do mask wearing rule breakers, littering, and other rule breaking behaviors such as hiking on trails with signs to keep out have something in common! Hmm. 

Leonard

https://www.flickr.com/photos/leonardsjacobs/albums/72157603520494610